


Ten Years

by the_jade_princess



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: 10th anniversary, it's more poetry tbh, look i've got the feels leave me aloooone, spoilers for ns11-13, tjp writes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:13:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28753443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_jade_princess/pseuds/the_jade_princess
Summary: *Contains spoilers for season 11-13* Happy Ninjaversary, everyone! Look how far they've come... ten years never seemed so short...
Kudos: 8





	Ten Years

How did they celebrate being a team for one year?

How could they celebrate, when having to deal with training Lloyd and guarding themselves against Garmadon and the Serpentine? Did it ever cross their minds that a year ago that day, they’d been brought together by a cryptic elderly man who promised to teach them magic and how to make colorful tornadoes?

How did they celebrate being a team for two years?

Having defeated Lord Garmadon and begun work on reforming the Darkley’s School for Bad Boys, had they remembered the original adventures? Had they taken a break from arguing who would be best to teach history and if the creation of various videogames was suitable for a curriculum to honor their humble beginnings?

How did they celebrate being a team for three years?

Of course, would they have had the energy to celebrate it? Technically, they had disbanded after losing Zane, so could they truly count that as three years? Did each one, having forged a new life built on grief, pause their tasks to tearfully remember who they had been? What they had done?

How did they celebrate being a team for four years?

Did they even have time? Having found Zane only to lose Lloyd? Having been brought together by a man-child to hurt one another, only to realize they were stronger together, and that somehow, their “dead” brother was alive on his party island? And after conquering that and discovering a new power, they lost Lloyd to the possession of Wu’s first student and ghosts, so they had to discover a new power while suffering the loss of their birthrights.

How did they celebrate being a team for five years?

Even though they couldn’t remember Nadakhan or the horrors he’d inflicted on Jay and Nya, but had they taken the time to celebrate their union as a found family even then, as more and more members of the team were sucked into a blade where time had absolutely no meaning? Had the disappearance of Cole, only to later find out a minor enemy was using him to become human again, prevented the group from remembering how far they’d come?

How did they celebrate being a team for six years?

After the events involving the Time Twins, had Kai and Nya gone back to Four Weapons to marvel at the place their adventures as ninja and samurai began? Had they talked with their newfound parents, retelling the highs and lows of their character arcs to suddenly remember six years had passed since Kai had been aware of his element and Nya had been in the clutches of Lord Garmadon?

How did they celebrate being a team for seven years?

In the chaos of the Jade Princess Incident, the return of Lord Garmadon, the accidental trip to the First Realm, the forming of the Resistance, and finally coming together to save the city from its self-proclaimed emperor, had they remembered? Had Lloyd, so sure it was the end, glanced up to see the dragons, only to realize seven years ago he was at Darkley’s learning how to be like his father?

How did they celebrate being a team for eight years?

Had the battles with the ancient evil known as the Bringers of Doom resulting in bringing back the almost forgotten Tornado of Creation jarred anyone’s memory of making the bone cage in the Underworld, and then prompted them to remember their last breath could be taken on their eight-year-anniversary? Had the beginnings of the adventure with Aspheera and the Never-realm reminded them that so many years ago, they could only imagine fighting Lord Garmadon, let alone surviving for years afterwards and traveling to multiple realms while mastering spinjitzu?

How did they celebrate being a team for nine years?

Had being trapped in the Never-realm only to enter Prime Empire blocked the memory that they were still fighting? That ninja really never quit? Had they gone through every low and never been uplifted by the fact that they’d survived nine years of horrid, horrid enemies? Had they imagined fighting for even longer as they traveled to Shintaro and helped knock some Sensei into Wu?

And ten years?

Perhaps Zane had a little notification reminding him to see his memories from ten years ago. Perhaps Kai remembered the skulkin attack outside his parents’ shop that ended with Nya being kidnapped. Perhaps Nya remembered hanging from a chain in the Fire Temple, waiting for Kai to save her. Perhaps Jay remembered falling head-over-heels for his Yang while not being able to talk. Perhaps Cole remembered trying to lead the team and deal with the hothead. Perhaps Lloyd remembered sitting in Darkley’s and being reprimanded for not being evil enough. Perhaps Wu remembered walking into Four Weapons to discover the next generation Fire and Water elementals.

Of course, they remembered these things, but would they remember it was 10 years ago today?

Perhaps, each was waiting for the right time to announce it, ready to whip up a makeshift party before they flew into another adventure. Perhaps, it was at the back of their minds, waiting to burst out and lead to a lengthy period of reminiscing.

Or perhaps each was too anxious about the upcoming adventure, dashing into another mess after just leaving Shintaro and Princess Vania behind.

Or perhaps, they were going for a more subtle form of celebration as they sat together on the deck of the ship, leaving the inflatable Dareth to autopilot. Perhaps sitting shoulder-to-shoulder after so many years of being torn apart was all they needed for their team anniversary.

The _Destiny’s Bounty_ continued flying and one ninja began humming the Weekend Whip.


End file.
